Tantric texts speak on the subject of bliss:
The All-Buddha-Awareness which is experienced within
ourselves
Is called Great Bliss because it is the most excellent
pleasure of all pleasures
Without bliss there is no enlightenment, for enlighten-
ment is bliss itself
Just as in deep darkness the moon-stone spreads its light,
So this supreme Great Bliss in a moment dissipates all
misery.
This post will kick off the beginning of a series of Jatakas that will be posted to ElephantTribe. Jatakas are short stories from India that tell of the past lives of the Buddha. The overall structure of the Jataka Tales is all about the cycle of samsara (cycle of birth, death, and reincarnation) that the Buddha had to experience before reaching enlightenment.
The Elephant
A Tale of Self Sacrifice.
At one time, the Bodhisattva took birth as a large Elephant. He lived in a forest far from civilization. The forest contained a lake that was both deep and wide and the entire wilderness was surrounded on all sides by an expansive desert. This beautiful oasis was well suited for the elephant as well as other smaller creatures. Delicious fruit grew on the trees, young shrubs carpeted the earth, and the whole area was bordered with high mountains. The Elephant lived alone as an ascetic and sustained his large body only on leaves and lotus roots, dedicating his time to contemplation on the virtues of contentment and tranquility.
One day while wandering along the forests edge, the Bodhisattva Elephant heard the cries of humans coming from the desert. Their cries began to get louder; surely they were approaching the oasis.
Urged by compassion, he ran towards them swiftly and when they came into sight he saw that it was a large group of men, women, and children, all nearly dead from starvation and thirst. Noticing that they were fearful of him, he called out in a human voice and stated that they need not be frightened. Upon hearing such peaceful and comforting words the people regained their composure and humbly greeted him.
The elders explained that they had been banished by an angry king and that many of them had already died in the desert. The kind Elephant realized that all the fruit in the forest would not be enough to feed them for even a day. He resolved that he must offer his own flesh as food and his organs and intestines as bags to carry water on their journey. He then instructed the people on how to find the great lake and said that just beyond it they would find the corpse of an elephant that had fallen from a mountaintop, not telling them that it would be his own corpse. As the group set out towards the water, he quickly, by another route, started to ascend the mountain. Upon reaching the top he then, feeling great joy and oblivious of the impending painful death below, hurled himself over the edge of the precipice. The impact sounded like an earthquake throughout the entire forest.
Meanwhile, the group of exiles had reached the lake and refreshed themselves with the cool water. Following the Bodhisattva’s directions, they discovered the body of an elephant not far away. At first, they were surprised that the corpse so closely resembled the kind Elephant they had just met. Before long, a clever one in the group determined that it was in fact the same Elephant. Awestruck by the incredibly generous and selfless act of the great beast, they burst into tears of gratitude.
Some in the group thought that they should not eat such a great Bodhisattva, stating that such a magnificent and compassionate being deserves nothing less than a proper cremation ceremony. Once again, the clever one explained that the true way to honor the elephant would be to eat his flesh as the Elephant had intended. The people ate until they were full, made bags to hold water, and crossed the rest of the desert without trouble.
How about this for a tribute?
Lawrence Anthony, a legend in South Africa and author of 3 books including the bestseller The Elephant Whisperer, bravely rescued wildlife and rehabilitated elephants all over the globe from human atrocities, including the courageous rescue of Baghdad Zoo animals during the US invasion in 2003.
On March 7, 2012 Lawrence Anthony died. He is remembered and missed by his wife, 2 sons, 2 grandsons and numerous elephants.
Two days after his passing, a remarkable thing happened! The wild elephants showed up at his home led by two large matriarchs. Separate wild herds arrived in droves to say ‘goodbye’ to their beloved man-friend. A total of 20 elephants had patiently walked over 12 miles to get to his South African house.
Witnessing this spectacle, many people were obviously in awe, not only because of the supreme intelligence and precise timing that these elephants sensed about Lawrence’s passing, but also because of the profound memory and emotion that the beloved animals evoked in such an organized way: Walking slowly – for days – making their way in a solemn one-by-one queue from their habitat to his house.
Lawrence’s wife, Francoise, was especially touched, knowing that the elephants had not been to his house prior to that day for well over a year, yet they knew where they were going! The elephants obviously wanted to pay their deep respects, honoring their friend who’d saved their lives – so much respect that they stayed for 2 days and 2 nights. Then one morning, they left, making their long journey back home.
“All it takes is someone believing
that if you keep dreaming,
one day you might be surprised
that it is not a dream at all”
– Goran Milic
When I was going through cancer treatment in 1997, everyday, my dear friend Goran came to my house with a special lunch prepared with love. One would have been rather impressed and happy with that ….. however, before leaving, Goran would always ask: “what would you like for dinner?” He always says: “This is how we do it … we don’t know any other way ….” A true friend for life …. Goran owns Divino Restaurant in Brentwood serving fantastic Italian Food. He also gives to the world community by hiring disabled young men and women from his home country of Montenegro teaching them to cook and run a restaurant. A valuable Gift that they will always be able to utilize throughout their lives.
You can visit Divino Restaurant at
11714 Barrington Court
Brentwood, CA 90028
Tel 310-472-0886
by Henrik
A lake surrounded by
mountains
and
rolling hills
a colorful palette
brown
yellow
many shades of green
covered in
a clear blue sky
a warm
life-giving
sun
raising in the
horizon
ducks playing in the water
a boat setting sail
the day is
slowly emerging
rise with it
and experience
the beauty of life
and
infuse it with
your own
wonderful energy
by Henrik
I have tears in my eyes
like
little water drops
sprinkling
my past
surfacing
into
my consciousness
I
have to remember
that my life
is mine
to share
with others
in love and forgiveness
honoring
the creator
mother earth
and the
white cloud
that I know
I’m one with
by Henrik
This is my life now
the past is behind me
although still within
I’m as flexible
as ever
limper
supeling
I have been molded
and
shaped by
the most amazing
experiences
I’m as
happy
and
vibrant
as when the
sun
first shined upon
me
I’m me
by Henrik
I have been to the top of the mountain
to the bottom of the hill
into the valley
on my way
passing thru the canyon
to the next mountain
this is my journey
my life
if the end was in sight
what would I do
_________________________
If some great idea takes hold of us from outside,
we must understand that it takes hold of us only
because something in us responds to it,
and goes out to meet it.
– Carl Jung
Yesterday, ElephantTribe.org hosted a fun-filled African-theme party, complete with African cuisine and spiritual drumming lead by Pop Diouf – master drummer from Senegal. This extremely successful afternoon marked the first ElephantTribe.org event! We had guests from all over the world. It was a like a true Olympics hosted right here in Los Angeles, California. We spotted people from USA, Denmark, Sweden, Italy, Greece, Senegal, Russia, Norway, Germany, Iran, India, England, Hong Kong and Japan…….  everyone brought a unique piece of their culture to the celebration creating amazing positive energy.
The beginning of the event was greeted by beautiful Los Angeles weather with the sun wanting to take a peek at the festivities. Socializing and nibbling on delicious food prepared by Elizabeth and Henrik, eventually turned into a drumming session for all of the guests. Pop Diouf taught the crowd a few healing songs that involved drumming and singing. Everyone participated — drumming and connecting with their “inner elephant seed” making themselves grow into strong and positive human beings by the end of the day …..
Pop shared with us the stories of his country, where “family” is not just blood, it is your community. Unbeknown to us at the time of the planning of the event, Pops father had passed away a few days before the gathering. A phone call to Pop reassured him that we could be of help to him in his quest to go to Africa and be united with his family at this difficult time. With the help of ElephantTribe.org and its members, Pop completed his quest. True to the intend of ElephantTribe.org, all the tribe members (guests) shared their wealth and made contributions to Pop Diouf. Pops was able to buy a ticket and  fly back to Senegal to be united with his family. Thank you ElephantTribe members. You’re making a positive difference already ….
Life can sometimes be rather unpredictable – and – we all need someone to lean on at some point in our lives – we cannot always do it by ourselves – this was one of those moments where one of my core believes could be lived out …. helping a person through positive action inspiring him to move into a better place within himself …..positive transformation … Pop needed some healing, money and love and all the guest needed to share and experience Pops wonderful energy. It was all coming together. Being in the moment.
Seeing old friends and meeting new friends. Brightening souls with delicious food. Everyone brought so much love to the party, at the end of the day everyone left with smiles and filled with positive energy. We hope to see you at our next event!
Here are some words from our friends:
Larry & Sofia: “You certainly know how to bring joy to the world. The food was just amazing. One memorable great day. Thank you for having us be a part of this great experience … The drumming was better than any therapy available!”
Pop Diouf: I couldn’t believe how genuine all the people were at the event …… I have never met such are great number of loving and caring people in Los Angeles before.
Pop Diouf’s Son (actually it’s not his own son – but a friends): I’m in heaven – can I come back?
Janita: Thank s for a beautiful day. It was an unexpectedly healing experience. Your friends are lovely!
David:Â I’ll be drumming in the weeks to come and those primal beats reminded me of what drew to modern dance in the first place.
Gene: Thank you so much. We both enjoyed, and I even liked the drumming, although my hands are kind of sore today
Peter & Kathleen: Thanks for sharing your sunshine! vistas, friends, music & tasty food with us. We had a swell “good vibrations” time
Mike: It was good to be back at the house and felt very comforting. Thank you for the time you allowed me to spend with you two special souls and the healing that I experienced there.
Marian: We had a wonderful time at yesterday’s party. Thank you for including us.
